Lubricating device



. 1,621 644 March 22 1927' A. THORNBRUGH LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1925 attow u; o

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

ALVIN THORNBBUGH,

MAN'LY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CARL HENRY HASS, OF MANLY, IOWA.

LUBRICATING DEVICE.

Application filed September 22, 1925. Serial No. 57,879.

This invention aims to provide novel means for lubricating the journal of a car, to provide novel means for holding the closure of the boxing in place, to provide novel means for preventing oil from leaking out of the boxing 'or casing, and, generally, to improve and to enhance the utility of devices of that sort to which the invention appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side elevation wherein parts are in section; Figure 5 is a top plan of the packing member.

The device forming the subject matter of this application comprises a casing 1 including a box like upper member 2 and a troughshaped lower member 3, the upper member 2 preferably being formed integrally with any accessible part 4 of the truck frame of a railway car. The lower member 3 is hinged along one side, as at 5, to the upper member 2. On its opposite side, the lower member 3 has any desired number of cars 6, a latch bolt 7 being pivoted at 8 between each pair of ears 6 and being adapted to swing between lugs 9 on the upper member 2, the latch bolt carrying a nut 10 of any desired construction, cooperating with the lugs 9 to hold the bolt in the closed position of Figure 4.

In the forward end of the casing 1 there is an opening 11 in which a closure 12 is seated, dust-tight, the closure having a transversely disposed offset handle 14, the ends of which are pivotally connected at 15 to rearwardly extended plunger-s 16 having heads 17 which are slidable in cylinders 18 pivoted at their rear ends, as at 19, to the upper member 2 of the casing 1. Compression springs 20 are located within the cylinders 18, the forward ends of the springs abutting against the forward ends of the cylinders, and the rear ends of'the springs abutting against the heads 17 of the plungers 16, to draw the plungers rearwardly, thereby to hold the closure 12 in the position shown in Figures 2 and 4. By means of the handle 14, the closure 12 may be drawn forwardly a. little, to free it from the opening 11 in the casing 1, whereupon the closure 12 may be swung upwardly into the position 5 shown in dotted line in Figure 4, the springs 20 yielding to permit the aforesaid movement of the closure 12. The parts 16 and 18 constitute a pivotally mounted retractile connection between the closure 12 and the casing 1. V

In its rear end, the casing 1 is equipped with a pocket 21 formed by cooperating transverse slots which are fashioned internally in the parts 2 and 3 of the casing 1. Within the pocket 21 is located a packing 22 of any suitable material, in theform of a plate, having an opening 28, the packing being divided longitudinally, from its upper edge downwardly to the opening 28, as shown at 23, to form beveled overlapped edges 24 above the opening. In its forward surface, the packing 22 has a superficial circumferential seat 25, the ends of which terminate, as disclosed at 26, in spaced relation to the lines 23 where the packing 22 is divided longitudinally. In the seat 25 is located a prehensile spring 27, retained in the seat 25 by a part of the lower member 3, as shown in Figure 2, and retain-ed, also, by the corresponding upper portion of the member 2. The spring 27 serves to draw the packing 22 tightly about the car journal 29 which extends through the opening 28, a dust-tight and oil-tight closure being effected about the car wheel journal, the packing 22 closing closely about the journal, as the packing wears away due to the rotation of the journal. The journal 29 cooperates with a bearing 30 held in the part 2 of the casing 1 by the usual wedge 31 or its equivalent, there being a transverse groove 32 in the inner surface of the bearing 30, the groove being adapted to receive a loose ring 33 suspended on the journal 29 and extended downwardly into the trough-shaped lower member 3, this member being adapted to receive oil without resorting to the use of a supplemental pan or other container for oil, of a like sort.

Any suitable means indicated at 34 may be V The members nected, as at 5,

provided for distributing the oil between the journal 29 and the bearing 30, it being understood, that, as the journal 29 rotates, the ring 33 will be rotatechoil'being carried upwardly by the ring, from the troughshaped lower member 3 of the casing 1.

The bolts 7 may be slacked away, whereaboutthe lower member 3 may be swung downwardly on its hinges 5, thereby opening the casing 1 to permitthe introduction of oil, or the renewal of the packing 22,01 for any other purpose. The device is so constructed that the removal of car wheels may be brought about readily, and. there is small chance that any parts of the device shown will be damaged to any great extent by any of the ordinary operations carried out in connection with the maintenance or renewal or a car journal bearing.

y way of summary, it may be stated that the device comprises a casing 1 including an upper member 2 and a lower member 0 provided with transverse pockets 21, a packing 22'being located in the pockets, and a journal 29 being rotatable in the packing.

2 and 3 are hingedly conto enablethe packing 22 to be placed in, the pockets 21. The connecting device 7 joins the members 2 and 3 of the casing 1 to prevent them from opening hingedly and releasing the packing from the pockets 21. A supplemental mechanism is supplied for preventing the members 2 and 3 of the casing 1 from opening hingedly at 5 and releasing the packing 22 from the pockets 21, should the connecting device 7- 1O fail, the said supplemental mechanism including the closure 12, the inwardly projecting rib 50 of which is received in a groove 51 formed in both of the members 2 and 3 of the casing, the springs constituting resilient means for holding the closure against the casing, to maintain the rib engaged with the grooves 51.

What is claimed is In a device oi" the class described, a

casing comprising an {IPPQI' member and a low-er member provided with transverse pockets, a packing: in the pockets, a journal rotatable in the packing, means for hingedly connecting the members of the casing to enable the packing to be placed in the peck ets, a connecting device joining the members of the casing to prevent them from opening hingedly and releasing the packing from the pockets, and supplemental mechanism for preventing the members of the casing from opening hingedly anchreleasingthe packing from the pockets should the connecting device fail, said supplemental mechanism comprising closure having a rib, both of the members of the casing having a groove receiving the rib, and springineans for holding the closure against the casing to maintain the rib engaged with the groove.-

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my'signature.

ALVIN THORNBRUGH. 

